Please read these instructions carefully. Due to the volume of mail and telephone calls recieved daily and the limited staff available - you are asked to review all information in your summons packet before calling the jury staff with questions. If you have questions after reading them completely, please call the Jury Administration Office at (336) 332-6000, Option 3.
Returning the Juror Information Form
Federal law requires that all persons respond to a jury summons. Failure to do so could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both.
Within five (5) days of receipt of the summons you are required to either complete and return the Juror Information Form located at and attached to the bottom of your summons and return it to the Court within five (5) days OR you may complete the online form by going to the eJuror tab on the Court's website.
Length of Term
You are summoned for a six-week term of court. This does not mean that you will spend this length of time on jury duty. Most trials are only a few days in length. You may or may not be called in for a trial during this period. Once you have been selected to sit on a trial jury, your obligation is fulfilled and you will not be called back for the remainder of the term unless so ordered by the Judge. All jurors remain on call for the duration of the term for which they are summoned. Do NOT assume that you will not be called later in the six-week term, simply because you have not been directed to report in the first weeks. It is always possible that you could be directed to report in the last week and should make the neccessary arrangements to be available, just in case.
When Should I Report?
The summons you received lists the first scheduled date of appearance which begins your six-week term of service. All jurors MUST call the court’s telephone recording system (1-800-659-1132) after 5:00 p.m. on the evening prior to your scheduled appearance date. If you are summoned for a Monday, the recording will become available after 5:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to your scheduled appearance date; you must, however, call again after 5:00 p.m. on Sunday to determine whether the instructions have changed. Due to a heavy volume of calls, you may get a busy signal. It is important to continue dialing until you reach the recorded message.
In some instances, you will be told to report as directed. You may be informed, however, to report at a later date/time or to call at a later date/time for further reporting instructions.
DO NOT REPORT FOR JURY DUTY UNLESS AND UNTIL YOU HAVE CALLED THE JURY LINE AND ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE RECORDED MESSAGE.
How Should I Dress for Jury Duty?
To maintain the dignity of the Court, please use the following guidelines:
Clean and Neat Clothing (Business Casual - Casual);
Do Not Wear:
T-shirts, jeans that are torn; clothing with offensive language or artwork;
Flip-Flops; halter tops; shorts;
Also, refrain from wearing heavy perfumes or colognes.
The courthouse building is old and the heating and air conditioning is difficult to regulate. Therefore it is highly suggested that you bring a light sweater or jacket regardless of the season.
If you report without following the final instructions on the recorded message, you will not be authorized to collect the attendance fee, overnight subsistence or mileage allowance.
What Time Should I Appear?
All jurors should report no later than 8:00 a.m. unless otherwise directed on your summons or by telephone instructions on the recorded message you receive when you call for reporting instructions.
Where is the Courthouse?
Greensboro
United States Post Office & Courthouse, L. Richardson Preyer Federal Building, 324 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC (When you arrive, go to the Jury Assembly Room on the 4th floor. Do not report to the local Guilford County Courthouse, which is located across W. Market Street from the Federal Court Building).
Winston-Salem
United States Courthouse & Federal Building, 251 North Main Street, 4th floor, Room 409, Winston-Salem, NC. Do not report to the local court (Forsyth County Hall of Justice), which is located across Main Street from the Federal Court Building.
Durham
United States Post Office & Courthouse, 323 East Chapel Hill Street, 2nd Floor, U. S. Clerk’s Office, Durham, NC.
Where Do I Park?
Free parking is provided for jurors in several of the city-owned parking decks located within walking distance of the courthouse. Please note that the decks noted on the map are the only decks that provide free parking for jurors. (NOTE: Jurors summoned for Durham should be prepared to pay to $7.00 each day, but will be reimbursed at the daily rate.)
Greensboro
Winston-Salem
Durham
When you park in one of these decks, you will receive a cream or manila-colored ticket from the mechanical parking control device. Bring this ticket with you to check in for jury service. The ticket will be validated by the jury clerk and returned to you. Upon leaving the parking deck, present the validated ticket to the deck attendant.
Please note that the designated decks differ from those used by the state courts. Jurors are responsible for payment of parking expenses incurred in unauthorized decks, meters or private lots (where your vehicle could be towed or ticketed). Please do not park at a parking meter; you will be unable to attend to the meter during court, and you will be responsible for parking tickets or towing expenses.
Attendance and Subsistence Fees
Jurors receive $50 per day for each day of service as a juror. This amount is taxable as income.
Jurors also receive reimbursement for round-trip mileage at the rate of 67 cents per mile. When you check in for jury duty, you will be asked for exact one-way mileage by the most practical route from your home to the Court. Please be prepared to provide this information. If you cannot provide the information, map mileage will be substituted. The mileage will be doubled and you will receive 67 cents per mile for each day of service.
If a juror lives more than 50 miles from the location of the Court and chooses to spend nights near the Court prior to next-day reporting, the juror will receive a subsistence allowance to cover hotel fees and meals; please refer to table below. Jurors are solely responsible for hotel bills. Reimbursement will be included in pay vouchers which are mailed at the end of the term.
Please use this website for the Per Diem rates and Meals & Incidental Expenses for Durham, Greensboro and Winston-Salem (Standard Rates)
Emergencies
Jurors may leave the Clerk’s office number [(336)332-6000] with family members with the assurance that any emergency message will be received and delivered to you immediately. The caller must stress the urgency of the call and provide the location (Greensboro, Winston-Salem or Durham) where the juror is serving. (Calling the toll-free number is also an option, but the message may not be retrieved and delivered as quickly.) Empanelled jurors should call again and speak with a supervisor, if calling to report and emergency, or other urgent message to the Court.
Excuse Requests
All excuse requests must be submitted in writing by the juror as soon as possible after receiving a summons. The written request should be submitted along with the completed questionnaire card located at the back of the summons. All excuse requests must be submitted in writing with the completed summons form EVEN is the on-line form has been completed. Include the excuse request with the questionnaire in the envelope that is provided.
Please note that:
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Excuses will not be granted over the telephone.
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Excuse requests cannot be accepted on the date you are scheduled to appear for jury service and will NOT be considered after 1:00pm on the last business day prior to when you are scheduled to call and/or report with the exception to extreme emergencies which must be fully documented.
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Excuse requests cannot be requested by leaving a message at the time you call for reporting instructions.
If you are excused, you will receive a written reply from the Court stating that your request has been granted. Due to the volume of jurors summoned and excuse requests submitted, requests are handled in the order of reporting date. If you have not received a response at least five (5) days prior to your scheduled reporting date, you may call the jury department to check the status of your request. Do NOT assume that you have been excused merely because you have mailed a letter requesting to be excused.
Persons of 70 years of age or over may be excused permanently, upon written request. Excuse is not automatic because of your age. You must submit a written request to the Court as set out above.
Excuse requests for health reasons must be accompanied by a letter from your physician (not a prescription slip), stating why it is necessary for you to be excused and whether or not you will be able to serve in the future. If you will be able to serve in the future, the doctor should state the earliest date that you could physically serve. Handwritten letters that can not be read, will not be considered.
Employer requests for juror excuses will not be considered. It is the juror’s responsibility to request an excuse and it is unlawful for an employer to interfere in any way.